Yuna Rocks A DJ Premier Track Better Than Most MCs Do (Video)

Wanderlust – the overwhelming desire to travel – may be one of the most relatable concepts in the human experience. Whether geographically or otherwise, thoughts of arriving elsewhere can be freeing or suffocating, and Malaysian singer Yuna explores that dichotomy beautifully in her DJ Premier-produced single “Places to Go.” Having released her U.S. debut EP Decorate in 2011, she quickly caught the attention of Pharrell Williams, with whom she worked on her single “Live Your Life,” off her 2012 eponymous full-length debut. Singing in both English and her native Malay, her eclectic upbringing has certainly influenced her sound, yet she has naturally gravitated to Hip-Hop, a sign of the genre’s global influence. Heads are now getting familiar thanks to her latest Preemo-infused single, for which a beautifully simple yet engrossing video has now been released.

Shot entirely in black and white, “Places to Go” does not shy away from the metaphor of travel in its visual application, but the simplicity in which it is delivered feels refreshing. As the shadow of a flying airplane cloaks city streets in slow, gradual measure, so does Yuna’s as she runs towards something herself. Deceptively simple in its execution, the music video is laden with meaning and ends in such a way that makes it clear Yuna has arrived, but the trip is far from over.